create-skill

Packages a job that takes several steps into something the AI can run from start to finish on its own, the same way every time.

When to use

SCOPE

USE FOR

Turn a debugging approach, review checklist, or implementation pattern into a reusable skill.
Capture the decision points and branching logic of a workflow, not just its happy path.
Define the quality checks that mark the skill's workflow as actually done.

This is a saved copy of the skill's SKILL.md instructions. It may differ from the upstream file or the version you install.

In this document (3)

Related skill: agent-customization. Load and follow skills.md for template and principles.

Guide the user to create a SKILL.md.

Extract from Conversation

First, review the conversation history. If the user has been following a multi-step workflow or methodology (e.g., debugging approach, review checklist, implementation pattern), generalize that into a reusable skill. Extract:

The step-by-step process being followed
Decision points and branching logic
Quality criteria or completion checks

Clarify if Needed

If no clear workflow emerges from the conversation, clarify:

What outcome should this skill produce?
Workspace-scoped or personal?
Quick checklist or full multi-step workflow?

Iterate

Draft the skill and save it.
Identify the most ambiguous or weak parts and ask about those.
Once finalized, summarize what the skill produces, suggest example prompts to try it, and propose related customizations to create next.

Remember to follow the agent-customization guidelines to create highly effective skills.

Built into VS Code. Nothing to install there. The npx skills add command copies the same instructions into another agent, but they are written for VS Code and may call tools only VS Code has.

Run this outside your AI tool, using Node.js 22.20.0 or newer. Skills CLI 1.7.2 skips skill selection; prompts cancel installation without an interactive terminal. If choosing Project when asked about installation scope, open your project's folder before running this.

Install checklist

Check selected tools if a picker appears; Claude Code may be unchecked under Additional agents. ↑/↓ moves, Space toggles selections, Enter confirms.
Without a tool picker, check Installing to: for your intended tool. Stop if it names a different tool.
If asked, choose Symlink (Recommended) for shared files or Copy to all agents for separate copies; review the summary before confirming installation.
Install the find-skills skill? defaults to Yes, adding another skill for all projects. Choose No if you don't want that extra installation.

Skills CLI 1.7.2 sends install data to skills.sh by default, including the source, skill names, target tools and file details; GitHub sources are reported only when GitHub confirms the repository is public, while other remote sources can also be reported. Confirmed-public GitHub sources also trigger a security-audit request. Before installing, set the environment variable DO_NOT_TRACK=1 or DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1 to disable both.

npx skills add microsoft/vscode --skill "create-skill" --full-depth

Once this skill is installed where Claude Code loads it, type /create-skill in Claude Code when you want to start it. Claude Code won't start this skill on its own.

View on GitHub

Extract from Conversation

Clarify if Needed

Iterate

No requirements beyond installing this skill were found.

More skills

act-on-feedback

agent-customization

author-contributions

chronicle

code-review

commit